Letter: The U.S. needs to cut military budget and find a smarter foreign policy

Comment

Rockford Register Star

Writer

Posted Nov. 22, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Posted Nov. 22, 2013 at 3:00 PM

A major factor in attaining economic and social success for our country is to find a much smarter foreign policy. We must shift from military solutions to diplomatic solutions.

Right now we squander trillions of dollars in useless wars, breaking the budget in the process. By ending these futile wars and redirecting our energies to the core reasons for conflict – widespread economic and social inequality – we could enhance our security at a tiny fraction of today's military outlays.

Let's set a goal to slash our military budget in the next four years by at least half - from the current 5 percent of GDP to 2 or 3 percent. We can and should direct a good part of these savings to investments in global stability.

These actions will truly contribute to society's ultimate objective: greater life satisfaction, both for today and for future generations. If we get serious we will be able to answer Reagan's famous 1980 question positively: "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?"